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Father of murder victim asks for financial help to lay his daughter to rest

(WDHN) — Daniel Gilley is feeling lost and angry after he received heartbreaking news two weeks ago that his daughter, Anastasia Gilley’s life was taken away too soon.

The loss of his baby girl comes after he recently lost his grandmother and first granddaughter.

“It’s rough, I find myself not eating, running around mindless, it’s bad man,” He said.

The week before her death, Gilley said his daughter informed him about a guy who had been coming to her job messing with her and trying to get her number, but she wasn’t interested.

“I asked her about it Tuesday and I said if you need me to handle it let me know,” He said.

That was the last day he saw her — she was supposed to go over to his house the next day but she never showed up and he could never make contact with her.

On Thursday, he visited her house but still came up empty with no signs of her returning home.

“Friday, I went with a roommate, and the door was still chained and that’s when I reported her missing,” He said.

That mind-boggling weekend, Gilley was arrested by Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in the midst of finding his daughter. He was caught driving without a license and in posession of a firearm as a convicted felon.

“I did something stupid I went looking for the guy’s name given to me and his whereabouts,” He said.

While locked up, he learned his daughter was found dead in a grassy area on Headland Avenue and the suspect Marquis Mccloud was in custody.

Gilley said he’s left in the dark about what happened but he says McCloud picked his daughter up from work a few times but other than that there was no intimacy.

“She didn’t know what this guy was about,” He said. “She was too damn friendly she trusted everybody and will give them the shirt off her back.”

Gilley says Anastasia was a happy person all the time who loved kids but could have a feisty attitude at times.

A GoFundme Page has been set up with a goal of $3,000 to help the family during a tough time.

“I make my own money but I don’t make that much money,” He said, “I’m not burning her to ashes my main goal is to bring her back home for a proper burial.”

A memorial has also been set up where Gilley was found on Headland Avenue.

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